Can-oeeneb



H. E. HOKE.

CAN OPENER.

APPLICATION FILED 1 58.19. I918- RENEWED MAY 8. I919- 1,317,134.

Patented Sept. 23, 1919.

i luma 1. I I 9 figu l. f

A ITORNEYS can-cram Application filed February 19,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY E. Home, a a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Hanover, in the county of York and State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can-Openers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in can openers and it consists inthe constructions, combinations and arrangements herein described andclaimed. I

An object of my invention is to provide a can opener includmg as one ofthe important features, a stop cooperating with the-cutting blade forspacing the cut an even distance from the rim of thecan. Another objectof the invention'is to provide a can opener including a pair of piv-.oted bars having a centering prong. for centering the cutter in themiddle of. the can and roviding a pivot, a blade carriage being s idablymounted on the pivoted one of the bars, and a stop being provided forpreventing the blade on the carriage from being struck by the centeringprong under ordinary conditions when the can opener is not in use.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification,reference be- 80 ing had to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the improved can opener in use,

Fig. 2 is a detail section on the line 2-'-2 85 of Fig. 1,

v Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view showing the correlated portions ofthe blade carriage disassembled,

Fig. 4 is a detail side elevation showing 40 the stop for preventin theblade from moving into the ath of tie centering prong,

Fig. 5 is a etail sectional view of a slight modification, and i Fig. 6is a detail plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 5. In carrying out myinvention 1 provide an anchor bar 1 having a centering prong 2 firmlyfixed in the end thereof. A cutter bar 3 is pivoted on the centeringprong which thus forms the center or pivot for the cutter bar when thelatter is forced around the periphery of a can to open the top, as willpresently appear.

The centering prong 2 includes the square 56 portion 2 which is firmlyfixed in the bar 1.

The centering prong is ma e round immespecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 23, 1919.

1918, Serial No. 218,114. Renewed May 8, 1919. serial No. 295,698.

diately beneath this square portion and the cutter bar 3 rotates upontlns. rounded portlon. A washer 2 is interposed between the cutter bar 3and a flange 2 on the centering prong. The flan e 2 is adapted to restupon the top of t e can and prevents contact of the adjacent edges ofthe cutter bar.

The centering prong 2extends oil at an angle as illustrated in Fig. 2and is made pointed on the end to facilitate the-forcing of the proninto the middle of'the can.

Each bar as a carriage slidably mounted thereon. The anchor carriage 4on the anchor bar 1 carries the anchor 5 which is simply in the natureof a prong also adapted to be forced into the top of the can. Thecarriage 4 1s 1n the nature of a loop which ala most embraces the bar 1and is fitted tightly enough upon the bar to maintain its positionthereon when shoved along the bar 1n making an adjustment. The bladecarriage 6 includes the upper and lower straps which have cars by meansof which the straps are bolted together around the cutter bar.: blade 7is carried by the blade carriage and moves along the cutter bar withsaid carriage. v The blade 7 includes the right angled portion whichoccupies a position between the lower strap 6 and the lower cutter bar3.v The bolts and nuts are tightened sufii cientl to bind the bladecarriagefi on the cutter bar tightly enough to, insure the bladecarriage retaining various positions on the cutter bar when shoved intosuch positions by the fingers.

' A'stop 8 is formed by a continuation of the blade 7, and the stop isso bent that it engages the outer wallvof the can and acts as a gage forpreventing the blades 7 from accidentally creeping inwardlytoward thecenter of the can top during the cutting operation. The provision of tis stop 8 embodies one of the important features of the invention, sincewithout the sto would alwavs be the possibility o the blade creepinginwardlyand making an uneven cut. The stop 8 insures the uniform spacingof the cut from the rim or edge of the can.

Fixed in a suitable location on the cutter bar 3 is an abutment 9 whichmay simply consist of a pin as shown in Fig. 4. The purpose of t eabutment 9 is to limit the movement of the blade carriage 6 toward thepivotal extremity of the cutter bar. The reason for limiting thgmpvgment of the 8 there,

surface of the -ter bar 3-is forced around with pleted by the 1:85;Ithas been found that thecut i, y I

' blade carriage will be readily apparent in Fig. 4. Under ordinaryconditions when'the can opener "is not in use, the several bars are freeto swing around and consequently 5 thecenteringprong 2 moves in acircular path beneath the cutter bar. 3. N ow were it not for thep'rovision 'of the abutment 9, the centering pron 2 would swing aroundand Y strike. the kni e 7 forming notches in the cutting edge andpossibly breaking "the end of the blade ofi' altogether. Byproviding theabutment 9 the blade 7 is prevented from entering the zone of movementof the cen- :tering prong 2 and consequently is'an element of safety andcontributes toward the general efficiency ofthe opener. v

Substantially the same principle as re gards the limiting, of themovement of the blade carriage 6 is carried out in the modificationshown in Fig. 5. Here the cutter bar 3 has a longitudinal slot 10 inwhich the I end 11 of a stud 12 operates; When the pin is at theeiztremity of its movement toward the left, the blade carriage isconsequently prevented from moving farther and so the contact of thecentering prong 2 with the blade? is prevented. Thestud 12in thisinstance takes the place of the stop 8 inthe Y other form oftheinvention, and is adaptedto; ride on the edge of the can to limit theY inward movement of the cutter.

The stud'includes a threaded portion" 12*? which securesthe bladecarriage and blade together. The stud alsoincludes a rounded] portion onwhich a roller or sleeve 13 is mounted to lessen the friction betweenthe stud and the edgeof the can.. In this construction, the bladecarriage 6 is made sub stantially like; the anchor carriage 4 in Fig.-1, in that it consists of a loop partly embracing thecutter barv asplainly shown in Fig; v The operation of the can opener is as fol- Ilows.- 'Whengthe can opener is first-presented to a c'an', the anchorbar and cutter bar are. close together." The centering prong J firstforced into the approximate center of theg top of; the can, whereuponthetanhor and-blade a-1 'riages4 and 6 are moved positions withrelationship to the "id P P edgefof thefcan; v I ;Theanchor'5 andblade'7 are then 'simultaneo'usly- 'forced into the metal, care f being1 takefi that thestop8 will come to the proper position; on 'the outsideof the can when the blade is forced into the metal. The ,barll'nowbecomes a handle "in one handto steady the can, while the cut. thecentering prong 2 as a center therefor. When .the

I no" cutter bar 3ghas been carried around as far as the onehandcanlconveniently force'it,

the 'hand's are changed and thecut is comhand which formerlyheld the'l/anchor bar. I

invention may be illustrated in Fig.

.. slot, an; anchor bar h the. cutter bar, a b the cutter bar, a blademounted onfthecar-y and a.

" cutter onuter bar, .abe$@d betwe the, -1..t,

smooth on both edges and is also perfectly even in ontra-distinction tothe usual uneven and jagged out made by the ordinary can I opener. Theadvantages of the stop 8 on the blade carriage need not be dwelt upon,

it being perfectly obvious that it is desirableto make the cut at aneven distance from the edge of the can all around. The stop 8 thusbecomes a gage which insures a perfectly even and uniform cut.

The ease with which a broken blade may bereplaced is also an outstandingfeature; of the invention. should the blade 7\ become broken, the strapportions of the carriage 6 may be readily taken-apart by undoing thenuts so that a new blade may be setiin place. I Y

Thefacility with which a new blade may be secured on th shown ii -Fig. 5is'also apparent; Thestud' 12 performs thcombined functipn of actmg as agage orstop, as revious pointed out, and also of holding ,th e' blade i11 position on the carriage. Both of the forms of the used to equaladvantage, I .the form shown in-Fi 1 to'gi inclusive, however, beingmore'simple, especially as regards the construction of the cuttingblade. Ahandle is provided on the outer end of each of 'thebars 1. and3.}These handlesma .consist of wooden handles as .1, or' nay' be shapedup out of the metal of the bars themselves.

,In actual practice, these handles will consist simply of loopssufficiently large to enable a secure hold when the can opener is be inused..

ile the construction and arrangement of the can opener asillustrated inthe draw mg 1s that of a generally preferred form, obviouslymodifications and changes ma'yJoe made without departing from the spiritof the Invention or the scope of the claims. 7

acutter bar having, aving a fixed centerpivotal mounting for p ladecarriageslidable-upon.

riage and adapted to penetratethe topjof' the. can, a stud inclu 'ngathreaded portion for secu nng the carriage and blade together,

n portion for occupyingsaid slot anhor xhml-t tie movement ofe carriagitowardwhlch 1's grasped a roller mounted uponsaidstud enga ngthegedgeof a canfand'preventmg t e inward movement of the blade towarthe. center off-"thetopr 2'. In a can opener,;a.xcutter bar havin aslot, ansanchor bar having afixe'd' centering prong rovidin a. pivotalmountin for the ar," :1; b ade carria'geslida le upon can and preventingthe inward movement of the blade toward the center of the top.

3. The combination of elements constituting a can opener, consisting ofa cutter bar, an anchor bar'having an angularlg extended centering prongfixed therein an arranged to form the pivot for the cutter bar, a blade15 carria having a blade, unrestrictedly slidable on the cutter bar andadjustable to any diameter can top by simply moving the blade carriagewith a finger, and means embodied in the cutter bar for sto 'ping theblade 29 from entering the zone. 0 rotation of the centering rongthereby preventing the notohing oi the blade.

HENRY EYSLTERHOKE;

Witnesses: I

W. B. AILEWELT, Gnonon FmsHnAN.

